Crossposted from Election Connection Ballot boxes are now open for the August 2 Primary Election and Elections Director Julie Wise marked the occasion this week with ribbon cuttings at new ballot drop boxes at both Fairwood Library in Renton and Lake City Library. A total of 29 drop boxes will be available for this Primary Election followed by 14 more boxes for the November General Election. A total of 43 ballot drop boxes will increase access and convenience for voters across King County. For a complete list of boxes visit our website…. Read More

Crossposted from Metro Matters Abdi Elmi has a motto: having a career driving a bus for Metro is one of the best kept secrets in the region. Elmi, a Metro Base Chief in Bellevue, is from Somalia, and his story is one of triumph and hard work to overcome adversity. As a teenager he and his family fled the civil war in Somalia, and he lived in a refugee camp for several years. Later he brought his family to the US, and came to Seattle in 2009. In 2012, he was hired… Read More

*Correction: This article incorrectly lists Dave Murphy as the current interim Director of the Community Corrections division. Saudia Abdullah is the current Director, starting in August 2015 and confirmed by counsel in October 2015. Each year in Washington state, hundreds of inmates are released from correctional facilities after completing their sentences with $40, a bus ticket, and whatever they had on them upon entering. They are released into society without any training on how to deal with reintegration or changes in the way we live. Many have served long-term sentences and find… Read More

Crossposted from King County Parks YAY for GIS! Now you can find ALL of our regional trails, backcountry trails, natural areas and parks on an interactive and easy-to-use virtual map. You can even search specific amenities and activities such as picnic locations, fishing locations and soccer locations. Go monkey around with it: http://gismaps.kingcounty.gov/ParkFinder/